About us

Leander Club is recognised the world over for its extraordinary achievements, having won more Olympic and World championship gold medals than any other club, and home to rowing heroes and to the champions of tomorrow.

Leander’s members enjoy a very socially active club that encourages good fellowship, celebrates success and values its heritage, stretching back to its formation in 1818.

Event Diary

Corporate

Commercial partners engage with Leander Club and our International and Academy athletes for brand and relationship-building purposes.

As our story to 2018 and Leander’s Bicentenary unfolds, partners and other corporate clients are enjoying opportunities to entertain customers at Henley Royal Regatta and campaign events, or to row with our athletes.

Media

Leander delivers rowing athletes for Team GB. Twelve Leander athletes won medals in Rio (out of GB’s total of 26), retaining GB’s position at the top of the rowing medal table and bringing Leander’s total Olympic medal tally to 123.

The Club’s successes at both GB and Academy levels, together with various ongoing campaign events, deliver news stories throughout the year.

Veterans’ Boat Race 2017

When Cambridge won the Veterans’ Boat Race ten Leander members were at the heart of the action which ended in disqualification for Oxford.

With average ages of 42 and 45 the crews, comprising former Boat Race athletes, included Olympic silver medal cox Zoe de Toledo steering Oxford, with another Leander legend, Sir Matthew Pinsent, in charge as umpire.

The veterans, boasting eight Olympians among their ranks, set off the start at a brisk 38 strokes a minute but the Dark Blues, stroked by former Leander Olympian Tom Solesbury, began to take the early lead.

As the inside of the Middlesex bend continued to favour Oxford so the lead increased, with two lengths separating the crews past Fulham Football Ground.

But Cambridge were not out of the running and began to inch back as the crews approached the Mile Post, and then began a serious push.

Oxford struggled to answer the attack, and Cambridge closed rapidly past Harrods, where Pinsent started to warn Oxford continuously to get back on their station.

As de Toledo held her line a clash looked inevitable, and just as the crews passed beneath Hammersmith Bridge the blades started to interlock and the Cambridge 3-man, Toby Backhouse, struggled to regain control of his oar as they raced the last 20 strokes.

Oxford cleared the finish line opposite Furnivall Sculling Club a length to the good, but Pinsent already had hold of his red flag, eventually disqualifying them for interference and making Cambridge the victors.

“Cambridge came on so strongly – it was either a case of letting them through or risking the clash” said de Toledo after the race.